Black Eye
by countrymusicisreallycool
Summary: Tessa Winston has lived in Tulsa her whole life. No one has ever questioned the black eyes and bruises that she always has. When she meets her cousin Dallas he notices the black eyes. He introduces her to the gang where she falls in love. Will Tessa tell her secrets before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Outsiders. If I did everyone would have lived and I would marry Sodapop.**

**Leave reviews please.  
**

I've lived in Tulsa all my life. I've been called a greaser more times then I can count. I know people who have been jumped and nearly killed by socs. After a while you get used to the unfairness of it all. My name is Tessa, Tessa Winston. I go to East Tulsa Public High School, after school and on the weekends I waitress at the café that my aunt owns. She is my mother's sister, actually her twin, and since my mother is dead she is the closest thing I have to a mother.

The story goes that my mother was the rebel in a wealthy family. She dated a guy from the East (greaser) side of town in high school and had me shortly after her seventeenth birthday. Her parents didn't want an unmarried mother in the family and throw her out of the house. She was desperate and married my father hoping that her parents would speak to her if she were married. But her parents didn't want her to be married to a piece of white trash and refused to talk to her. My aunt secretly kept in touch with her because they were very close.

Marrying my father turned out to be the worst decision she ever made. He had and still has a bad drinking problem and one evening he was driving her to a friend's house and he was drunk. He lost control of the car and drove into a pole. She was killed instantly. I was only one year old at the time and I don't remember my mother at all. The only parent I've ever known is my father. When I was little I thought everyone's parents got drunk and beat the crap out of them. But when I got older I realized that only bad parents behaved like my father. I never have told anyone about my father and what he does. I just see it as admitting my weakness. It's not that I'm a tough person; it's just that it sounds so pathetic to say that my father beats me.

I know that my father that I had a brother who lives, at least the last I heard, in New York City but I didn't know I had a cousin. That is until the day he came, two years ago. I haven't seen him since that conversation. But when I was taking a couple's order at the café, he walked in, my cousin Dallas.

FLASHBACK

The day he came to the door I was in bad shape. I had a black eye and I was limping. These injuries were courtesy of my father of course. I didn't want to answer the door to a stranger so I asked through the door, "Who are you?"

"My name is Dallas, Dallas Winston. I think I'm your nephew. I'm fifteen. I lived in Texas for the past two years, and before that I lived in New York."

"Well I know for a fact you're not my nephew. What's your dad's name?"

"William, but he went by Will or Willy most of the time."

"I do have an Uncle Willy who lived in New York. I'm Tessa, by the way."

"Listen, Tessa, I really need a place to stay, at least for a little while. Please."

I opened the door to look at his face.

"Look, Dallas. You do not want to stay here."

"Please, I have nowhere to go."

"I'm sorry. I can't help you."

"Do you know anywhere I could go?"

"Do ride any animals. Horses, Bulls, anything?"

"Actually I do. Learned in Texas."

"Try Buck Merrill. He's an asshole and not real smart but he can always use someone to help out with his animals and to ride in the rodeos. He got this big house where he throws wild parties and shit but he lets people stay there for little or no money. I had a boyfriend who stayed with him for a bit."

"Thank you. I'll try there."

"Good luck, Dallas."

PRESENT

He stood and looked at me for a while. I spoke first.

"Dallas? Can I help you?"

"Hi Tessa. I ended up staying at Buck's. You work here?"

"Yeah. It belongs to my aunt."

"I didn't take you to be the related to a soc type. Who am I kidding? I'm here looking for one."

"What?"

"I'm looking for a girl, redhead, really pretty."

"Every guy in this town is looking for a girl, Dallas. You sure as hell aren't going to find one here."

"She said she was meeting me here. Her name's Sherry but she goes by Cherry."

"Cherry? She comes in all the time, but she has cheerleading practice for twenty more minutes."

"I'll wait."

"Okay. Have a seat."

Fifteen minutes later I get a break and go over to his table.

"I want to talk to you."

"Bout what?"

"About you being my cousin. We should get to know each other."

"You're right. We should."

"So tell me about yourself."

"Tell me about that black eye."

"Shit! Can you really see it?"

"Not really. You hid it pretty well with makeup. I only saw it cause I knew to look for it."

"You knew to look for a black eye on the cousin you only met once?"

"You had one the first time I met you."

"You remember that?"

"I remember wondering about it. How did you get it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Just then Cherry walked in, "Hi Dally."

He smiled at her, "Hey baby."

Then he looked at me, "Come hang with me and my friends tonight."

He must have sensed that I didn't want to go to Buck's cause he said, "Not at Buck's! I have friends who go to East Tulsa High. You might know them. We're going to the movies and then hanging out at the Curtis brother's place."

"Sure, why not?"

"When do you get off?"

"In two hours."

"I'll just wait for you."

Cherry was listening to our conversation and interrupted us then, "You're seriously making plans with another girl in front of me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I know Cherry pretty well she and I talk when the café's not busy.

"Cherry, I'm his cousin. We have the same last name."

"Oh Tessa, I didn't see it was you. He's your cousin? I didn't think you'd be related to a greaser," then she looked at Dallas. "Not that there's anything wrong with being a greaser, of course."

"Tessa's a greaser."

"Really? That must be why I didn't know you until I started coming here cause I didn't hang with greasers before I met Dally. Gosh, now I'm sounding so rude. I'm sorry!"

"It's okay Cherry. Can I get your order?"


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the Outsiders.**

**So I guess some people actually liked my story. That's awesome!**

**I hope you guys like this chapter.  
**

**Please leave a review. Reviews make me happy. I write more chapters when I'm happy. So leave reviews.  
**

"It's okay Cherry. Can I get your order?"

"Yeah, I'll have a strawberry lemonade." She still looks embarrassed from the whole greaser incident.

"Coming right up."

She and Dallas sit in the table by the window. They look really happy. After an hour and a half she gets up to leave. "Bye, Dally." She says blowing him a kiss, then she turns to me, "Bye Tessa."

I spend the next half hour waiting tables and refilling drinks. When it's finally time to leave Dallas is waiting by the front door. "Hi," I say, feeling weird about hanging out with some one I barely know and his friends.

"Hey. Ready to go? I borrowed Buck's car."

"Is it safe?" I ask.

"Not entirely sure."

I laugh. He sees me looking happy and smiles, "Now that you're smiling let's talk about that black eye."

"I told you. I don't want to talk about it."

We get to his car now and he opens my door then goes around to the driver's side.

"Well, I want to talk about it."

"Well, I don't."

He sits there in silence for a moment.

"Why do you care?" I snap at him.

"Because it worries me."

"What? That I'm clumsy?" I demand.

"Tessa, we both know that's not how you got the black eyes, drop the act."

"Drop what act? Why are you so obsessed with this?"

"I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I take care of myself."

"No you don't. You're the one with the black eye. And what is that bruise on your arm?"

"It's nothing."

"Aw, like hell it's nothing!" He exclaimed.

"Just leave it, Dallas."

"Is it a boyfriend? More than one boyfriend? Your dad? Who's hurting you?"

I was pretty mad by then, "Let me out of your car!"

"Not in this neighborhood."

I was starting to feel desperate, "Let me out of the damn car. I'm ain't kidding!"

"Neither am I."

"As soon as I get out of this car I'm calling the cops."

"They'll ask you 'bout the black eye too."

"Shut up bastard!"

"When we get to my friend's house I'll get someone to drive you home. 'Kay?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Seriously Tessa."

We sat in silence until we got to a small house. He went in and I stayed in the car. A moment later he came out with another guy. I thought I heard him say something like, "Thanks Soda. I owe you."

He tossed the keys at the guy, who caught them and slipped into the driver's seat. He smiled at me, "Hey, I'm Sodapop."

"Tessa," I say cautiously. "What kind of name is Sodapop?"

He laughs and I study his face in case I need to describe him to a police sketch artist later. He's handsome, like movie star handsome, but he has kind eyes. My instinct tells me that he won't hurt me. "A unique one," he replies.

"That's for sure."

"So Dally tells me that I'm not supposed to mention your black eye."

"Damn right, you're not."

"Okay, my lips are sealed."

"Thanks, Dally wouldn't drop the subject."

"Dally can be stubborn. But you gotta understand that it's cause he cares. He cares too much sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's like what my brother Pony says, us greasers feel too much. We get too passionate 'bout what we care about."

"I guess."

"So where do you live?"

"A block from East Tulsa High."

"Oh, that's where I used to go."

"Used to?" I ask, "You don't look older enough to be outta high school."

"I dropped out."

"Oh," I say, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He is quiet for a moment, "I wasn't good at anything anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"I was failing everything."

"That doesn't mean you weren't good."

"Well what does it mean?"

"It means you hated school. Join the club."

He laughs again. "You're funny Tessa, funny and smart."

"Thanks Soda, you're funny too."


	3. Chapter 3

**I still don't own the Outsiders.**

**Thank you for the review and for reading my story.  
**

**Please leave a review at the end of the chapter. I love hearing from readers.  
**

"Thanks Soda, you're funny too."

He smiled, "I ain't trying to be."

"Well maybe you should try to be." I suggest, half serious, half silly.

"Maybe I should." He pauses for a moment, "So why didn't you stay and hang out with us?"

"I told you Dallas was obsessing over my black eye."

He laughs, "You're kidding right?"

"No I'm not."

"You're gonna let one idiot greaser who won't mind his own business ruin your night."

"Well," I say, unsure of how to respond, "I'm not spending my evening with him, that don't make it ruined."

"Let's go to the movies on our own."

"Sure, why not?"

"I'm just gonna let Darry know what's up, there's a payphone at the store up ahead."

Once Soda is done checking with Darry he get's back in the car and we drive to the theater. We end up going to see some western. Soda gets fidgety about thirty minutes in.

"Hey," I whisper in his ear, "We don't have to stay for the whole movie."

"Thank you," he whispers back.

We walk out of the movie theater and get back into the car.

"So what do you want to do?" I ask.

"Shit! I forgot!" he exclaims, "I gotta bake a cake for our breakfast tomorrow. I need to start that as soon as I get home."

"Well I'll help," I offer.

"Thanks."

When we get to the Curtis house he pulls out at chocolate cake recipe. "I get the flour and dry ingredients, you can get the butter and stuff, okay?"

"Sure."

An hour and a half later the cake was cooling down on the counter and Soda and I were in the living room hanging out. "I'm gonna get something to drink. You want anything? We've got beer if Two-Bit hasn't cleaned us out all ready."

"I'm not a beer kinda girl. I don't drink."

"Neither do I." He smiles, "Thought I was the only one. Pepsi?"

"Sure."

He hands me a bottle and gets one for himself.

"So I know I'm not supposed to ask but I guess its like Pandora's box. How did you get that black eye?"

"I still don't want to talk about it."

"Well I'll tell you two things. One it's no secret some of my gang don't have the best home lives, Johnny in particular. None of us take it as a sign of weakness; we take it as a sign of having shitty parents. Two, that door," he points to the back door, "Is always open. We never lock it and we never will. If you ever need to crash come here."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"You call me, anytime, I'll come get you. I mean it."

"Okay."

We sit there in awkward silence for a moment but then the door bursts open and a bunch of guys come in.

"Hey Soda," one guy yells, "Got any beer?"

"Don't give him any Soda." Another guy says, putting his arm around the first guy's shoulder, "I'm cutting you off."

"So Soda," yet another guy says, "What did you get up to tonight?"

"Just hung out with Tessa." To me he says, "Tessa this is Steve, the drunk one's Two-Bit, that one's my brother Darry, next to him is my other brother Ponyboy, the kid next to him is Johnny, and well you know Dally."

"Yeah, I know Dally. Can I go home now?"

They all look at me for a second then the tall one, Darry, answers me, "Of course, I'll drive you."

We head outside; as we walk to the car I overhear Soda and Dally talking.

"How did you guys get along?" Dally asks.

"We got along fine until I asked 'bout the black eye."

"I told you man."  
Darry interrupts my eavesdropping, "Ready to go Winston?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Dallas means well you know."

"I know," I say.

He drives me home. When we get to my house he turns to me, "Listen admitting that you have problems doesn't show that you're weak, it shows you're strong enough to deal with the problems."

"Thank you." I say, "Goodnight."


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own The Outsiders.**

**Thank you to the people that reviewed my story. I want you to know how much I appreciate reviews. I read them over and over again and I really take them to heart. If you want to make my day please that the five minutes it takes to leave a review on my story.  
**

**I don't usually so this because I feel it's not fair to the reader but I need your help. So I have a bet with my friend. She says that I can't get two new reviews on this story by midnight eastern standard time tonight. Let's see if we can prove her wrong, shall we? If you read this, please post a review. If I get the two reviews I need to win I will post the next chapter at midnight (or like five minutes later), otherwise I'll post it when I get around to it.  
**

The next day I was back at the café waiting tables when Dallas walked in. I glare at him, "What do you want?"

"Is that any way to speak to a customer?"

"Shut up, we both know you don't tip."

"Listen, Tessa."

"I'm working Dallas. Unless you're going to order something get out."

"Listen Tessa, Sodapop says he's sorry for mentioning your eye last night."

"Are you going to order something or should I call the cops?"

"But he said he was sorry."

"It's not Soda I mad at." I snap. "And if he's really sorry he should come to me himself instead of sending an idiot like you as his messenger."

"He's at work, like you he works for his money, he said he'd come by at lunch to say sorry in person if you want him to."

"Like I said I ain't mad at Soda. And I do work for my money, I work hard, so please get out so I can work."

"I'll have a coke."

"What?"

"I'm ordering, you can't kick me out now."

I go behind the counter and get him a coke. "That's five dollars."

"What? Five dollars?"

"I'm including your tip in the bill. Pay and leave."

"Fine!" He throws a five dollar bill on the counter and leaves.

"Tell Soda to come by!" I call after him.

After he leaves Grace another waitress comes over, "Who was that Tessa?"

"He's my cousin."

"Why are you mad at him?"

"It's nothing."

It's about time for my lunch break when Soda comes in. "Hey Tessa."

"Oh, hey Soda, how are you?"

"I'm alright. You?"

"I'm fine. Dallas came in."

"I know. I'm sorry 'bout last night."

"I ain't mad."

"Oh I thought since you left so fast," before he can finish I interrupt him.

"I was mad then, not anymore."

He looks at me for a minute, "Okay then. You want to grab something to eat?"

"Sure, it's time for my break anyway. Let me get my jacket."

We end up going to a pizza place a block from the café. While we eat the pizza I got hot and decide to take my jacket. When I pull my left arm out of the sleeve I realize that the sleeve of my shirt is pushed up slightly showing the dark purple bruise on my wrist. I start to pull the sleeve down but Soda sees the bruise before I can. He grabs my arm, gently but firmly, and before I can pull away he pushes my sleeve up, so he can see the whole bruise.

I grimace as he takes in the hand shaped bruise that my dad left on my arm. "How did it happen Tessa?" He asks quietly.

I close my eyes and remember last night when I got the bruise.

_FLASHBACK_

_After Darry had dropped me off my father had grabbed my arm, leaving the bruise, and pulled me into the kitchen. "Where've you been bitch?"_

_"Out." I reply, "With a friend."_

_"A friend! A friend! I've got news for you slut! You smell like hair grease!" I remember think that I must have brushed up against one or more of the guys' hair. "You've been knocking boots with some greaser street trash ain't you? You're just like your mother. You know what she was?"_

_I don't answer and he gets angry and grabs my shoulders. He shakes me hard and I hit my head on the cabinet behind me. "Answer me!"_

_"I don't know." I say, "What was she?"_

_"A whore, bitch, a whore! Just like you."_

_"I'm no whore!" I say angrily, "Don't talk to me like that!"_

_He slaps me hard across the face. "I'll speak to you as I choose to! Don't you dare come crying to me when you get yourself knocked up!"_

_He threw me to the ground._

I open my eyes and look at Sodapop. "You have to tell me Tessa!"

"My dad." I say, "Alright? It's my dad." I look at him, "Are you happy now? You know my secrets! Now leave me the hell alone!"

With that I grab my jacket, turn on my heel and leave.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews! :) I won the bet! :) I know I'm a bit late posting (30 minutes) but please don't be mad. I have gotten some great reviews on this story and I would like to take the time to thank those people.  
**

**Estrella: My first review! :) Said that I made Cherry seem like a real person. :)**

**maymay: Said "I like Tessa cause she is tough and hardcore" :) and also said that Sodapop knowing Tessa's secret causes commotion. :) (I like commotion, in stories, at least)  
**

**TheCullenThatWasAGreaser: Said that the suspense was rising and that she liked that I showed a different side of Dally then we usually see. :) :)**

**anonymous reviewer: Said that she like that Tessa wasn't a Mary Sue (I'm relatively new to fanfiction what exactly does this mean? Leave a review and tell me please.) Also said I was "know how to write" :) :) :)  
**

**To the people talking about my characters, I can only write stories about characters whose heads I can really get inside of which is why my interpretation of characters is a little different, I am thrilled that you guys liked it.  
**

**To the anonymous reviewer: you made my day saying I knew how to write. I have some training in poetry and acting which is I think where I got my writing skills, I've always loved making up and telling stories, too.  
**

**Please leave more reviews, I love hearing about my writing. Since joining fanfiction I have gotten into the habit of checking my email for reviews 25 times a day. Nothing makes me happier than see a review notice in my inbox. :)  
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**Sorry for the excessive smiley faces but I'm in a smiley mood tonight.  
**

**Without further ado... the next chapter... Enjoy! :)  
**

Three hours after I yelled at Sodapop I was still upset. I had lied and told my aunt that I had a really bad headache and took the rest of the off from work to sit at home and feel sorry for myself. My dad was off at some bar or something and I had the rundown house to myself. I was mad, mad at Soda for seeing my bruise, mad at my dad for giving it to me, and mad at the world.

I was drinking Pepsi, listening to a country music radio station and flipping though a seventeen magazine when I heard someone pounding at the door. I got up to see Sodapop frantically pounding on the door. "What do you want?" I demanded.

"I want to talk!" He exclaimed.

"Go away!" I ordered.

"No!" he said.

"I'll call the cops!" I threatened.

"I don't care!" He was started to sound crazy.

"Why the hell not?" I demanded.

I can imagine him taking a deep breath before he said what he said next, "Johnny's in the hospital!"

I opened the door, "What happened?"

"His dad is, well, like yours. I don't know the details, cause they won't let us see him and they won't tell us exactly what's wrong, but we know it was his dad. Johnny's small for sixteen, you know, and he's not as tough as he used to be since those damn socs jumped him. Anyway the poor kid called Two-Bit and said "Come quick, I'm hurt, it was my dad", when Two-Bit showed up at his house he was out cold. Two-Bit called an ambulance and they took Johnny away, that's all we know right now."

"Oh my god. Is he gonna be okay?" I ask.

"Don't know. But when I heard, all I could think about was you and how you could be hurt like that, we were all worried."

"Well I'm fine."

"I bet it would make the gang feel better if they saw you in person."

"Fine."

When I got to the Curtis house Dally was sitting on the couch drinking a beer. As soon I as got through the door he crossed the room in several long steps and grabbed my left arm, "Let's see this bruise then!"

He looked it over and grimaced, "Worse then I though it would be."

"It ain't a big deal Dally."

"Like hell it ain't!" He yelled, "Why didn't you just tell someone? What's wrong with you?"

"Cool it Dally," Soda warned.

"No Sodapop, I won't cool it! It's listening when people like Tessa say it's no big deal that makes this shit a problem! If it hadn't become what we were used to with Johnny, he might not be in the hospital right now! Now there's no way I'm letting that bastard hurt Tessa again!"

"Why do you care?" I ask him.

"Why do I care?" He asks, "Because you're my cousin! You're family! And I don't like seeing you suffer and you not telling anyone! Why didn't you tell someone?"

"Well I'm scared to death!" I tell him, "I'm scared, scared I'll tell someone and they'll think I'm weak or I'm making it up or he should be allowed to do it. I'm scared to death they'll think I deserve it! Who knows, maybe I do! And even if someone believes me, and they punish him, where would I go? Maybe it'll be worse there, then I'll know I deserve it! That I'm the problem!"

After my little speech I collapse onto Sodapop's chest and sob hysterically. Soda wraps his arm around me and gently rubs my back. I can tell from the way he's being careful around my head that he noticed the bump from when my dad pushed me into the cabinet. "Tessa, you're gonna be okay. You're safe, this ain't your fault, and no one deserves this." He whispered in my ear. "You're not the problem, he has a problem."

When I'm calmer, I look around the room, Two-Bit, Steve, and Ponyboy are sitting on the couch, Darry is in an armchair, and Dally is leaning against the wall. They are all looking at me with genuine concern is their eyes. Dallas looks at me, "I'm sorry for yelling, Tessa. You don't deserve this. And it's not your fault."

"Thanks Dallas." I say, wiping a tear from my eyes, "I just have a question. How did you know?"

He smiles, in a kind way, "I just knew. I guess in a way you told me, when I showed up at your door, you said something like "you don't want to stay here," and with that and the black eyes, I just knew."

I nod, understanding, and turn to Sodapop, his shirt is covered in tears and there are marks where my mascara ran onto it. "Oh god, I got makeup and tears all over you! I'm so sorry. I'll pay for the shirt."

"Don't you dare worry about that, Tessa." He insists, "Just relax."

Darry got up from the armchair and led me to it. I sit down in the chair. "Can I get you anything?" He says kindly.

"Could I have something to drink?" I ask.

"Of course. We have hot chocolate if you want."

"I'll have that."

He gestures to a blanket thrown over another chair, "You want that?"

"Yeah," I say. He takes it and wraps it around my shoulders. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I'll get the hot chocolate."

Suddenly the phone rings, Darry sighs, "That's probably for me, Pony get the hot chocolate please."

"Sure," Ponyboy gets up and goes into the kitchen.

"Hello," Darry answers the phone. He listens for a minute, "Thank you for calling, tell him everyone says hi and we hope he feels better," after another minute, "Have a nice day, thanks again for calling, goodbye."

He turns to us, "That was the hospital. Johnny's going to be fine. He insisted that the nurse call and tell us he's alright."

**Thank you to the people that reviewed my story. I want you to know how much I appreciate reviews. I read them over and over again and I really take them to heart. If you want to make my day please that the five minutes it takes to leave a review on my story.**


	6. Author's Note

This is not an actual chapter. I have bad news. I am going away for 5 weeks and I won't update until 5/22ish. So check back then for more of Tessa's story!

Thank you to all the people who read this story. It an amazing gift to have a hobby that I can share with others and I love each and every one of you for reading my story and for loving the outsiders as much as I do!

I would love it if when I came back from vacation I have some new reviews. Also to the people that asked that I review their stories, I would love to but I've been very busy. When I return from vacation I will take the time to read your stories and write a detailed and sincere review.

Thanks you to everyone and I hope you will continue to read my story when I update again!


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so sorry! It's been ages since I updated. It feels like it's been forever since the day I started this story. A lot has happened in the time since then. I wanted to say why I haven't updated in a long time. Writing Tessa's story is hard for me because I have a lot of things in common with Tessa, actually I think of the characters I've created for my stories Tessa is the most like me. And that makes her harder to write. So since I got back from vacation I've been waiting for the right time to write more of this story. I hope that I will be updating frequently but with the school year approaching I don't know, hopefully at least once a week. Thank you if you stuck with me long enough to read this chapter.**

**I don't own the Outsiders!**

**Please, please, please leave a review and tell me you forgive me for the long wait because I don't like when people get mad at me. Or tell me what you think of the story.**

After the phone call the mood in the Curtis house is much lighter. We all sit around and watch TV until it gets late and most of the gang leaves. When it is just me, Soda, Darry, and Pony in the house I ask the question that has been on my mind, "What's gonna happen to me?"

They all look at me and Darry answers, "Well, you can stay here for the night. In the morning we'll figure it out. But you're welcome here whenever you want."

"Thanks," I tell him, and I mean it.

Soda volunteers to sleep on the couch so I can sleep in his bed. I tell him that's unnecessary, but he insists.

"Hey Tessa," Ponyboy says, "It's dinnertime."

After dinner I fall asleep on the couch in the living room. I don't know why because it usually takes me hours to fall asleep. I guess everything that happened today, what with Dally coming to the café and Soda finding out about my dad, today has been overwhelming. When I wake up Soda is asleep on the armchair. The clock on the wall tells me that it's only 10:30 PM so I decide to wake him up. I shake his arm gently, "What?" He says groggily.

"Thought the couch might be more comfortable." I whisper.

He stands up and lies down on the couch, "Thanks, my room's the third door on the left. Good night."

As soon as I lie down in Soda's bed I fall asleep. Before I know it someone is shaking me awake. In my half-awake/half asleep state I convince myself that it's my father, forgetting that I am in Soda's bed. I try to push the person away but they are stronger than me. Then another person who is even stronger joins in. "Wake up Tessa!"

The other person speaks too, "Tessa, you're safe, it's Sodapop."

My eye open to see Soda and Darry standing over me.

"I'm sorry," I say, embarrassed "I thought you were my father."

"I know," Soda says, "I couldn't sleep and I went in here to get something. You were kicking and flailing in your sleep. I figured you were having a nightmare."

"I guess I must have been," I say, "I don't remember it though."

"Neither does Pony," Soda tells me.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Never mind," Soda says, "It doesn't matter."

"I hate him," I tell Soda. "I hate him."

"Who?" He asks, "Your dad?"

"Yeah," I say, "I hate her too, my mom."

"Why do you hate her?"

"She slept with him Soda, and then she married him, knowing who he was, what kind of person he was. She didn't think what might happen, she didn't think_ I_ might happen."

"I'm glad you happened, Tessa," Sodapop said.

"Me too," Darry adds, "We don't always see people's bad sides before we're too connected to them to leave. That's probably what happened to your mom."

"I guess."

"Now I'm willing to bet you're more mad at your mom for dying then you are for being with your dad. You know why? Cause my mom's dead too, car accident, just like yours. There is not a day that goes by I don't think about her. There's not a day that goes by I don't ask her why she left me and some days I hate her. But I don't hate her, I hate that she's gone. Just like you hate that your mom's dead and she can't save you from your dad."

"How do you know all this?" I ask, amazed by how well he read my mind.

"Tessa sometimes when you reach out to people you find out that they understand more about what you're going through then you thought. Now I'm going to go to sleep but wake me up if you need me."

"Thanks Darry."

"Welcome."


	8. Chapter 8

**God life's been crazy, I haven't updated in so long. I'm going to aim for one chapter a week for the next few weeks so I don't fail all my classes in school. I hate my science teacher! She is evil and she gives too much homework! But this story is a high priority for me so I will be updating! I still really love getting reviews… they are my motivation! So please leave a review!  
**

**I still don't own the Outsiders. I don't think I ever will. **

After Darry went to bed Soda and Tessa sat there for a while.

"I don't know who I am anymore," said Tessa.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, all of a sudden I'm opening up to people, telling them how I feel."

"God you're just like Dally."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you guys feel things. The way you react. Sometimes I think how can two people raised halfway across the country from each other be so similar, but I guess your dads must have been similar since they grew up together and pass on the character traits to you guys."

"Do you really think I'm like Dally?"

"Yeah," he said, "But in different ways."

"Like what?"

"Like you don't open up to people, you keep your distance, and you've both so stubborn."

"I'm not that stubborn, I just don't like to give up or except the easy answer."

"Yeah," Soda said, "You're stubborn, take my word for it."

"Fine," I say with a laugh. "How else am I like Dally?"

"You both get mad and when you get mad you are really mad. I think every emotion you guys feel to the extreme you just don't always show that to everyone."

"Maybe you're right."

"Like fear, you said you were scared that you deserve what your dad does, well I think Dally's scared that what people think about him is true."

Soda sits with me in silence for a while. I lie back down in bed and he starts to leave. "Stay," I whisper, "Please stay."

He sits down next to me and looks at a faded picture hanging up on a cork board on the wall. The picture is of a smiling blonde girl with kind blue eyes. He talks the picture down and studies it. "My ex girlfriend," he tells me.

"What was her name?"

"Sandy," he whispers.

"Why did you two breakup?"

"She moved to Florida."

"Oh," I said.

"She cheated on me."

"That sucks," I said, sensing Soda needed to just talk.

"I loved her, I cared about her, and I thought she felt the same way about me. But she didn't."

"What happened?"

"She was pregnant, it wasn't mine; we had never slept together."

"I'm sorry," I tell him.

"I forgave her too," he said, "I told her I didn't mind and we could get married and everything would be fine."

"But it wasn't," I say.

"No it wasn't," he said, "She broke with me but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"But at the time it always feels like it was perfect," I say, "The curse of teen relationships."

"Exactly," he says.

We're both quiet for a few moments and then I speak.

"Soda?" I ask.

"What?"

"Thank you."

"For what."

"Coming to get me."

"Your welcome."

"If you hadn't come I'd be in bad shape."

"I'm glad I came."

"He gets worse on Saturdays, the more drinks and the more people at bars the drunker he gets and the meaner he gets. The violence isn't him it's the alcohol. Somewhere deep down is a not horrible guy. Somewhere deep down is the guy who leaves twenty bucks on the counter for me to find on Christmas and on my birthday. I just lose him, the nice guy."

"You don't lose him, Tessa, he loses himself."

"I miss him."

"He's there somewhere but you may have to leave him behind."

"Why?"

"You have to save yourself, Tessa, you're the one that matters."

"Thanks again."

"Tessa?"

"What?"

"I love you."

And he leans in and kisses me.


	9. Chapter 9

**I ended that last chapter during an important moment huh? I hope you like this chapter! Please, please, please leave a review. Also I'm really happy cause this new kid at school looks so much like Ponyboy! It's so cool, I go to school with Ponyboy, sort of.**

**I got a review asking to describe what Tessa looks like so I added that to this chapter. Enjoy!**

**I still don't own The Outsiders… tragic.**

We kiss for a few moments but then we both pull away.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"No," I said, "No, I shouldn't have kissed back."

"But you did," he said, "That means something."

"Soda," I say sighing, "Oh Soda, I love you."

He looks at me kindly, "There a but after that right?"

"I…." I start to say, "I really do love you. I really do, but how do I say this… I lived my whole life in a house with my father. And he was in charge. It was never about me and always about him. I just left that life. I don't ever want to go back. Don't think that I think that you're like my father because I know that you're not. I just, I need time to be Tessa, just Tessa not Soda and Tessa. I just need time."

"Tessa," he said softly, "You already are Tessa, uniquely Tessa not Tessa and her loser father, you're just Tessa, you're my Tessa, the girl I feel for. The girl who is smart and strong and a hell of a lot like her cousin. The girl who doesn't mind that I get restless at movies and the girl that helps me make chocolate cake. Nothing will change that so why don't you give love a chance."

"I don't know if I can do this Soda, what if it ends badly?"

"Do you always overthink things?"

"Right now you and the gang are all I have. I can't risk losing that."

"You're not going to."

"I can't guarantee that, Soda and neither can you."

"Yes," he says, "I can. Whatever happens with you and me Dallas will always be your cousin and his friends will always be your friends."

"But," I start to say.

"But what?" he says, "You said it yourself, the curse of teen relationships is that it always feels perfect, but maybe it doesn't just feel perfect. Maybe it is perfect. You aren't ever gonna know if you don't give it a try."

I lean in and kiss him and suddenly there is nothing in the world but Sodapop Curtis and me.

Eventually he pulls back, "I gotta get to sleep I have work tomorrow."

"God, me too, I almost forgot," I say, "I love you Sodapop."

"I love you Tessa Winston. Forever and always. More than chocolate cake for breakfast."

The next morning Ponyboy wakes me up, "Tessa breakfast!"

I go into the kitchen and serve myself a piece of chocolate cake and a cup of hot chocolate and sit next to Soda. "Good morning," I say to him.

"Morning," he says.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask.  
"Alright," he said, "You?"

"Fine," I say, suddenly noticing a family picture hang on the wall, "Are they your parents?"

"Yeah," he said, "My mom and dad."

"Your mom looks like you and your dad looks like Darry. Ponyboy's like a mix of the two of them."

"Yeah," Soda says with a smile, "We get that a lot. It's funny because Darry looks like our dad but he's so much like our mom and I look like mom but I'm much more like dad. Do you look like your parents?"

"My aunt says I look like my mom but I don't see it, she's much prettier than me. I mean we both have brown hair and blue eyes but my hair is darker than hers. It's almost black like my dad's."

"I've never seen your mother," Soda says, "But I don't think it's possible for anyone to be prettier than you and I like your dark hair."

"Aw!" comes a voice from behind us, "I sense romance."

"Shut up Two bit!" Soda says, "You wouldn't know romance if it hit you in the face, though many of your ex girlfriends have."

"At least none of my girls moved out of state to have somebody else's baby Soda!"

"Very funny Two bit," Soda said.

Just then Steve comes though the front door, "Hey guys," he says, "And Tessa."

"Hey Steve," said Soda, "You working today?"

"Yep," he said, "But that's not why I'm here."

He turns to me, "Hi Tessa, I told my girlfriend about you and she thought you could use some clothes since you're staying here and you didn't bring any, so she sent me over with some stuff you can borrow."

He hands me a bag.

"Thanks Steve."

I go into Soda's room and dump the clothes out on the bed. Steve's girl had given me a pair of jeans, two shirts, a hairbrush, and a bottle of perfume. There was also a note, "Figured you'd need some stuff, return it whenever."

I change into the jeans and one of the shirts and run a brush through my hair. I also spray the perfume on. I like the smell it's old fashioned and simple and just a whiff of it makes me feel like I'm far from Tulsa.


	10. Chapter 10

**I know it's short but I promise more interesting chapters are coming. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of my story. Also... has anyone seen St. Elmo's Fire? The guy who played Soda (Rob Lowe) is in it and he didn't a great job playing a character that is both incredibly unlike Soda and also reminds me at bit of Soda. Like when he helps Jules at the end for those of you who have seen it. I could see Soda doing something like that. Anyway that's not relevant. **

When I was dressed and ready Soda drove me to work. As he pulled the car to the curb he leaned over and kissed me. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, babe," I said, "Thanks for the ride."

"Want to meet up for lunch?"

"I eat lunch with my friends on Sundays," I told him, "Sorry. "

"No big deal," he said, "When do you want to get your stuff from the house?"

"Tomorrow when dad goes to a bar."

"Okay," he said, "What time do you get off?"

"3:00," I said.  
"Darry will come get you."

"Alright," I said, "Bye Sodapop."

All day at work I avoided questions from my coworkers about Soda.

"Who was the guy who dropped you off?" asked a cook.

"He is handsome," a waitress added.

"You guys are so sweet together," someone else commented. "What's his name?"

By the time Darry came and got me I was sick of being questioned. I gladly slide into the car. "Hey," I said.

"Hey Tessa," he said, "So?"

"So what?"

"So you and Soda."

"Yeah me and Soda."

"I'm happy for you," he said, "Just don't pull a Sandy."

"I won't," I said, "I really like Soda."

"He really likes you," Darry said.

"How is Johnny doing?" I asked, "Have you heard anything?"

"Yeah," he said, "A cop showed up at the door today, first time they've done that when they weren't looking for Dally or making trouble. First time they were on our side."

"What did they want?"

"To know what I knew about Johnny's parents."  
"What did you say?"

"That they should be behind bars for a long time," he said, "Do you want to visit Johnny?"

"Yeah sure," I said.

"Okay," he said, "I'm going to pick up Ponyboy and then we can go."

We stopped by the Curtis house where Pony was reading something and Darry told him where we were going. When we got to the hospital I insisted on getting a bag of candy from the gift shop for Johnny, actually I wanted to get flowers but Darry and Pony thought that was too girly.

The nurse directed us to Johnny's room where he was eating lunch. He grinned when he saw us.

"Late lunch?" said Pony.

"It took me this long to work up the nerve to eat hospital food."

I laughed and Johnny smiled at me, "Hey Tessa."

"She's taken," Pony told him, "Soda's got dibs."

"You can't call dibs on a person," I reminded him.

"Yeah," he said, "But you can spend all night kissing them and that's what Soda did."

I blushed; embarrassed that Pony had brought the kissing.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Darry said.

"Nothing happened," I told him, "We just kissed."

"I know," he said, "I trust Soda."

"I wish I had an older brother," I said, "It seems nice."

"It's not," said Pony.

"Careful Pony," Darry said, "You forget who puts food on the table."

At that point in time I just felt like I belonged in their friend circle. It was nice to not feel like an outsider.


End file.
